Bridesmaids: Bechdel Test Success Or Failure?

The Bechdel Test, created by Alison Bechdel in 1985, is a simple test to determine whether a movie fairly represents women. To pass the test, a movie must meet three criteria: it has to have at least two women in it, these women must talk to each other, and they must talk about something other than a man. Surprisingly, many popular movies fail this test, including The Social Network, Avatar, and the original Star Wars trilogy. Bridesmaids, a 2011 comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Rose Byrne, has been praised for passing the Bechdel Test. The movie centres on a group of bridesmaids and their complex relationships and conflicts, with discussions that rarely involve men. While some argue that the wedding setting implies the presence of a man, others disagree, stating that the conversations focus on the women's relationships, fears, and desires rather than the groom. Bridesmaids is a rare example of a mainstream comedy that achieves box office success while passing the Bechdel Test, challenging stereotypes and providing positive female representation.

Bridesmaids passes the Bechdel Test

Bridesmaids, a mainstream comedy starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Rose Byrne, centres on a group of bridesmaids led by the main character Annie, played by Kristen Wiig. The film is tender, compelling, and hilarious, and it passes the Bechdel Test. The female characters are dynamic, motivated by real desires, and rarely talk about men, instead choosing to pump each other up or tear each other down. The majority of conversations between the women in Bridesmaids are about themselves or each other. They discuss their relationships, histories, fears, and desires.

Some have argued that the film fails the third part of the test because, in discussing wedding plans, a man is, by association, a topic of discussion. However, this interpretation has been disputed, as the discussions and conflicts in the film are about the main character's life crisis, the stress of planning a big event, and the fear that she is falling behind her best friend in life. The romantic male lead has significant screen time, and there are other male characters, but most have few or no lines, and the groom, for example, is largely absent from the film. As one reviewer puts it, "The Bechdel Test is about whether women talk about something besides men, not whether a movie exists in an alternate reality, hermetically sealed from the existence of men."

The test criteria

The Bechdel Test is a simple metric developed by graphic artist Alison Bechdel in 1985 to determine whether a movie fairly represents women. The test has three criteria:

• The movie must have at least two women: This criterion specifies that the film should have at least two female characters, and some sources further clarify that these should be named characters with lines.
• The women must talk to each other: The two female characters must engage in a conversation, which involves a back-and-forth dialogue.
• The women must talk about something other than a man: The conversation between the women should be about something other than a man. This could be about anything else, even stereotypically feminine topics like shopping or shoes.

The Bechdel Test is not a measure of the quality of a movie or its feminist credentials. Instead, it is a tool to raise awareness about the representation of gender in films and the extent to which women's lives revolve around men. Many popular movies fail this test, including The Social Network, Avatar, the original Star Wars trilogy, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The test's limitations

The Bechdel Test, developed by graphic artist Alison Bechdel in 1985, is a simple metric to determine whether a movie has a compelling female presence in its narrative. To pass the test, a movie must meet the following three criteria:

• It has to have at least two women in it.
• These two women must talk to each other.
• These two women must talk to each other about something other than a man.

While the test is a useful benchmark, it has its limitations. Here are some of the key limitations of the Bechdel Test:

The test does not consider the quality of female representation

The Bechdel Test only considers the quantity of female characters and their interactions, without evaluating the quality of those representations. For example, a movie with two female characters who conform to stereotypes or embody negative portrayals of women would still pass the test. The test does not distinguish between positive, well-developed female characters and those that rely on clichés or perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

The test does not account for context

The Bechdel Test does not take into account the context or genre of the film. For instance, a movie set in a historical or cultural context where women had limited agency or opportunities to interact may struggle to pass the test, despite accurately reflecting the realities of that time or place. Similarly, certain genres, such as romantic comedies or biographical films about male figures, may inherently focus more on male characters and relationships, making it more challenging to meet the test's criteria.

The test does not measure the overall impact of the film

Passing the Bechdel Test does not guarantee that a film is feminist or progressive in its entirety. The test focuses on a narrow set of criteria and does not evaluate other aspects of female representation, such as the depth of female characters, their agency in the narrative, or the overall message the film conveys about women. A movie can pass the test and still include problematic depictions of women or perpetuate gender stereotypes in other ways.

The test does not consider the relative screen time or importance of female characters

The Bechdel Test does not take into account the prominence or significance of female characters within the film. For example, a movie with two minor female characters who briefly discuss something other than a man would pass the test, even if the majority of the film centres on male characters and their relationships. The test does not distinguish between films with strong, complex female leads and those with token female characters who serve primarily to advance the male narrative.

The test does not address intersectionality

The Bechdel Test focuses solely on the representation of women, without considering other dimensions of identity, such as race, sexual orientation, or class. A film that passes the test may still fail to represent diverse female experiences or explore the intersections of gender with other aspects of identity.

The test does not capture the nuances of female relationships

While the Bechdel Test assesses whether women talk to each other about something other than a man, it does not capture the full range of female relationships and interactions. For example, a film that includes two female characters who primarily discuss their romantic relationships with men, but also briefly touch on other topics, would technically pass the test. The test does not evaluate the depth or significance of the conversations between women or the overall portrayal of their relationships.

The test's origins

The Bechdel Test, also known as the Bechdel-Wallace Test, was first introduced in 1985 in Alison Bechdel's comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For. Bechdel is a cartoonist and writer, who created the long-running comic in 1983.

The test itself was inspired by a conversation between two queer women in the comic, who discuss the criteria they use to decide on a film to watch. The two women, who resemble future characters Lois and Ginger, have the following exchange:

> "I only go to a movie if it satisfies three basic requirements. One, it has to have at least two women in it...who talk to each other. About, three, something besides a man."

Bechdel has stated that the idea for the test came from her friend, Liz Wallace, and was also inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf. In her 1929 essay, A Room of One's Own, Woolf wrote about the one-dimensional portrayal of women in fiction:

> "All these relationships between women...are too simple...They are now and then mothers and daughters. But almost without exception they are shown in their relation to men. It was strange to think that all the great women of fiction were, until Jane Austen's day, not only seen by the other sex, but seen only in relation to the other sex. And how small a part of a woman's life is that..."

Bechdel has described the test as "a little lesbian joke in an alternative feminist newspaper", but it has since become a widely used metric for assessing gender representation in media.

The three rules of the Bechdel Test are:

• The movie must have at least two women in it.
• The women must talk to each other.
• Their discussion must be about something other than a man.

Critics have suggested additions to these rules, including that the female characters should be named, say more than five words to each other, and share more than a minute of screen time.

Other films that pass the test

The Bechdel Test, created by cartoonist and author Alison Bechdel, is a simple metric to determine if a movie has a compelling female presence in its narrative. To pass the test, a movie must meet the following three criteria:

• It has to have at least two women in it.
• These two women must talk to each other.
• They must talk about something other than a man.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

A thrilling action movie that easily passes the Bechdel test. The film follows Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who leads a group of formerly enslaved wives across the desert to safety. The women are focused on survival and don't have time to discuss the men in their lives.

Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2 (2003-2004)

A revenge flick with a cast of phenomenal women, including Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, and Vivica A. Fox. While the film centres around "The Bride" killing her ex, Bill, the female characters have rich backstories that complicate their relationships with one another.

All About Eve (1950)

A classic film that passes the Bechdel Test, featuring a power struggle between a young upstart actress (Anne Baxter) and her older "role model" (Bette Davis). While there are men present in the film, the female characters rarely, if ever, talk about them.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

A colourful cast of women, including Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine, discuss anything and everything under the sun, from religion and nail care to sex, lust, food, and children. While they do gab about men, it's never the dominant thrust of any conversation.

The Farewell (2019)

A moving story about a family saying goodbye to their loved one. The female characters talk about their family struggles, issues with one another, and differing philosophies on life and death. While there are some conversations about men and relationships, they are not the main focus of the film.

Sister Act

A musical comedy about a group of nuns, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, and Kathy Najimy. While the characters have problems with men, their personal relationships are not defined by them. Instead, they make choices to better support themselves and their community, displaying strength, fierceness, and resilience.

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